Celebrating golf, hot dogs

Garbage Open event is all about kids having a great time.

Garbage Open event is all about kids having a great time.

July 11, 2008|VIRGINIA RANSBOTTOM Tribune Staff Writer

Madison Berger was the first one to reach the green in the Garbage Open at Eberhart-Petro Municipal Golf Course. The 9-year-old daughter of course pro Ben Berger played one hole of golf with her sister, brother and friends. Then the youngsters started putting around, ate plenty of hot dogs and swilled soda pop. That's what the Garbage Open is all about. Letting children have fun on the golf course and feeding them free hot dogs and pop. The Garbage Open at Eberhart was started in the early 1950s by John Bobick. Bobick, the director of golf at the time, wanted to offer all kids a chance to experience a free round of golf, have fun, win prizes and eat lots for free. The open was originally called the Mishawaka City Junior Golf Tournament. With 18 holes of golf originally on the schedule, the first tournament ended at nine holes because the kids ate so many hot dogs they started getting sick. "That's the story I heard," said Berger. "They were getting sick in trash cans." The second year of the tournament was named the Garbage Open. Bobick later went on to found Bobick's Pro Shop. He died in 1994 and the free golf tournament continued in his memory. Lori Elliott, a mother from Culver, heard about the free Garbage Open from her brother who played in it 30 years ago. She brought four boys to play in the open. "It's a nice course and you get to hit it over the river," Elliott said. One of those boys was 11-year-old Addyson Allyn. "I finished nine holes, ate lunch, and went back out for two more holes," Addyson said. "It was a blast." His friend Austin Sheldon, 13, found it tough getting the ball over the river, but the hot dogs went down easy. He ate three. Eating hot dogs after golfing made all the difference. No one got sick in a trash can. This year's Garbage Open attracted 97 kids. "It's one of the biggest turnouts we've had in years," Berger said. "Just three years ago, we only had 15. It's turning around." Berger said no results are tallied and golfers can quit at any hole. "It's all fun," he said. "It's a free day of golf, eating hot dogs, drinking pop and gifts for every kid. After golf, video games were set up in the clubhouse and names were drawn for such prizes as golf balls, gift certificates, movie tickets, a boombox, skateboards, games and more. "I've never been to a tournament where it was free before," said 13-year-old Trent Elliott.